Dwarf
Physical description: ' '''Dwarves are stocky, bipedal hominids which have a general appearance quite reminiscent of Terrans. A common Terran expression when talking about dwarves is “I could lend him my shirt, but he would need to wear my bermudas”, whatever this actually means. Dwarves have an impressive musculature, generally covered by a thin layer of fat which hides its definition, making them quite large and rather heavy even though they have a short stature. Dwarves ears are similar in form to those of Terrans, but their nose is rather more prominent. Dwarves have very strong pilosity on most of their body, with both males and females growing facial hair. Men generally keep long beards and rather elaborate mustache, much better kept their their actual hair, while women shave off a good part of the hair but keep impressive sideburns most of the time. Sexual dimorphism between male and female dwarves is limited when they are wearing their work gear, but females have much larger breats and a slimmer waist then males. Hair colour generally ranges between light red to dark brown, with the rare individual having blonde hair. Eyes are most commonly brown, green or black, with different hues. '''Society:' Another group of people that were cast out during the Exodus, the dwarves were always disinterested in the affairs of others, focusing heavily on their work. Unlike the gnomes, however, dwarves were not willing to simply join the Empire or Union, and began working into building their own nation-states. Not interested at all in the war between the elves, the dwarves exiled themselves to various worlds where they created large underground cities around mines which became later known as the Clanholds. Each planet is technically independent, even though they generally have a non-aggression, non-competition pact with other Clanholds and a mutual defense pact with other Clanholds in the general area to prevent their lands being taken over. Dwarven businessdwarves often go in the spatial mining business as well, where they consider themselves independent from the rest of the Hold but actively trade with it. Disputes between clan brothers generally are settled in front of a Loremaster, their equivalent of a judge / doctor, but sometimes things come to blow as different groups claim the non-aggression principle was broken in some manner. Work is a the very center of a dwarf life. While the original “classic” job for dwarves used to be mining, many of them have switched over to engineering, zero-g construction or electronic design. Dwarves are always expected to be either working or in training, with unemployment being viewed as the worst possible sin. Marriage is not common amongst dwarves, as two dwarves have a child, raise it until its twentieth birthday, when he enters apprenticeship, and then go their separate way. Most dwarves have multiple half-brother and sisters, but the “family group” is seen as far less important then their work social group. Relations: ' '''As dwarves generally live in semi-independent nation-states, each state has its own relation with its neighbor, but the same is always expected of them: you don't attack them or block their expansion into other lucrative business ventures, and they will trade everything they make with you at a very good price. As such, a large portion of the equipment in use by both the Star Empire and United Realms is actually produced in dwarven clanholds, from the simplest tool to the largest warship. The Hu Syndicates also trade heavily with the dwarves for the necessary biomass and food supplies they need. The Protectorate prefers to build most of their weapons themselves, but they buy supplies from the dwarves in large quantity, especially rare earth material necessary for the production of laser weaponry. A lot of Loremasters feel threatened by the aggressiveness of the Terran and So'Dar traders, which they see as upstarts in the military equipment business. '''Adventurers:' ''' '''Dwarves who leave the Clanhold come in two variety: those who do so in search of business opportunities and profit and those who were cast out of the clanhold for various transgressions which are sometimes nebulous to outsiders. Both groups are still shrewd business people and prefer to see the credits before they get into any form of adventuring. A significant portion of the dwarven military is strictly mercenary work and a large portion of those mercenaries do serve with the Imperial forces or Royal forces. Standard Racial Traits: '''Size and Type: '''Dwarves are medium humanoid with the Dwarf sub-type. '''Ability score modifier: '''Dwarves are extremely resilient and have great professional ethic, but are gruff and often set in their ways. They gain +2 to their Constitution and Wisdom, but a -2 to their Charisma. '''Hit Points: '''Dwarves are incredibly resilient, starting with 6 Racial HP. '''Underground senses: '''Dwarves instinctively detect stonework that is not natural or abnormal, such as traps or hidden doors, gaining a +2 to their Perception on such rolls. They also have natural darkvision up to 60 feet. '''Stout and Hardy: '''Dwarves gain a +2 bonus to saves against Poisons, Spells and Spell-like ability. '''Craftsmen: '''Dwarves are trained from birth to work hard in the Clanshold. Choose one of the following: Computers, Engineering, Physical Science or one Profession. You automatically gain 1 rank in that skill every level you take. If you are using One time skill selection optional rule, you are proficient in that skill instead. '''Slow and Steady: '''Dwarves are not encumbered until they have reached their maximum weight allowance. Category:Races